Exercising apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

G. H. PPUND. EXERGISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV,16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

WITNESSES: gz/a/w/ vw fi I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. H. PPUND. EXEROISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1004.

s E5522? I H 1 T WITNESSES:

5 provement.

i No. 786,672.

UNITED STATES Patented. April 4., 1905.

PATENT CEETCE.

EXEFiCiSiNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,672, dated. April. L, 1905.

Application filed November 16, 1904:. Serial No. 232,966.

5 and State of California, have invented a new and Im proved Exercising Apparatus, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to physical culture apparatus; and its object is to provide a new and improved exercising apparatus more especially designed for straightening the back and expanding the chest of the user of the apparatus.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is 0 represented in the accompanyin drawings,

' forming a part of this specification, in which 1 similar characters of reference indicate corresp nding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a rear side elevation of the im- Fig. 2 is a transverse section of 5 the same on the line 2 E2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is i a perspective view of one end of a shouleer blade resting-bar, a supporting-brace, and the 1 corresponding post. Fig. 4C is a perspective view of one of the supporting-braces, and

' Fig. 5 is a rear side elevation of the improvement arranged with a head-support.

The posts or like supports A A are shown connected with each other at the top by a cross- Sl bar A", and near the upper ends of the said supports are secured brackets B for adjustably supporting a supporting-bar C in a horizontal position such a distance above the i ground or floor that the user of the apparatus,

hanging with the hands from the said bar, has

the feet free of the ground or floor, as indi- Icated in the drawings. During the suspension of the user of the apparatus the shoulder- I 1 blades rest against a shoulderblade resting- 5 1 bar D, held in hooks or braces E and rest- Eing against the front face of the spaced supports A A.

Each of the braces E is provided with an 1 angular offset or shank E, carrying a pin E I? at its inner face for engagement with one of la series of apertures F, formed in a bar F,

attached to the rear face of the corresponding support A or A.

By the arrangement described the shoulderblade resting-bar D can be vertically adjusted, so as to bring the said bar D in proper position relative to the shoulder-blades of the user suspended by the hands from the bar C.

By the use of the apparatus described any deviation of the spinal column can be readily prevented or cured, whether forward (humpback) or sidewisethat is, high-shouldered on one side. The use of the apparatus also tends to widen the chest and make the lungs and heart strong and gives them full space to act, and at the same time tends to increase the beauty of the exterior body.

In using the apparatus the bar C is raised as high as a person can hang on it, with the feet free of the ground or floor, and then the resting-bar D is adjusted so as to bring the same directly opposite the shoulder-blades of the user of the apparatus when suspended from the bar C. While the person is suspended the weight of the same tends to straighten the spinal column, especially as the bars C and D are siifliciently out of vertical alinement to produce the desired result, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2.

If desired, the head of the person may be supported during the suspension, and for this purpose head-strap G is employed, engaging the back of the head at the neck, as plainly shown in Fig. 5, and this strap G is supported on a cross-bar G, hung on one end. of a rope 1, extending upwardly and passing over a pulley J, supported from the cross-bar A or from the ceiling or other support. The rope I extends downward from the pulley J and connects with a spring K, preferably in the shape of a rubber band, secured at its ends to staples L, attached to the floor. By the arrangement described the head-strap G is yieldingly supported to give the user the desired support for the head and to allow movement of the head to the proper position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An exercising apparatus comprising a support, a hand-supporting bar thereon, and a shoulder-blade resting-bar on the said support.

2. An exercising apparatus comprising a l support, a hand-srmperting bar on one side of the support and a shoulder-blade resting-bar on the opposite side of the said support.

3. An exercising ap 'iaratus comprising a support, a handsupporting bar, means on the said support for adjustably supporting the said hand-supporting bar, a shoulder-blade resting-bar arranged a distance below the said hand-supporting bar and out of alinement therewith, and means on the said support for adjustably supporting the said shoulder-blzule resting-bar.

4:. An exercising apparatus comprising a supporting means for engagement by the hands of the user, and a resting means for the shoulder-blades of the user to rest against when the user hangs on the said supporting means, the said supporting means and the said resting means being out of vertical alinement relative one to the other.

5. An exercising apparatus provided with pests having spaced apertures on one face, supporting-braces, each having an angular shank provided with a pin for engagement With one of the said apertures, and a bar for engagement with the braces and adapted to rest against the post-faces opposite the ones having the apertures.

6. An exercising apparatus comprising a supporting means for engagement by the hands of the user, a resting means for the shoulder-blades of the user to rest against when the user hangs on the said supporting means, the said supporting means and the said resting means being out of vertical alinement relative one to the other, and a yielding head-support for the head of the user.

7. An exercising apparatus comprising a supporting means for engagement by the hands of the user, a resting means for the shoulder-blades of the user to rest against When the userhangs on the said supporting means, the said supporting means and the said resting means being out of vertical alinement relati ve one to the other, and ielding head-support for the head of the user, comprising a head-strap, a flexible connection with the headstrap, a pulley for the passage of the fiQXlblB connection and a spring connected with the 1 said flexible connection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GE BHARD H. PFUND.

W itnesses:

WM. F. GILLER, Guns. A. KonNIe. 

